Vero Beach, FL — Sunbury Press has released The Silent Woman, Keith Rommel’s fourth novel in the Thanatology series of psychological thrillers. The first two books, The Cursed Manand The Lurking Man, have already been made into Hollywood movies and are winning awards on the festival circuit. Both movies are slated for release and distribution later this year. The third novel, The Sinful Man, is scheduled for filming in April.

About the Book:

The past.

A little girl is nearly kidnapped. A wild man runs loose, terrorizing a neighborhood. An older sister stops at nothing to protect her younger sibling from outsiders.

The present.

A woman sits in a prison cell, left to rot alongside a ruthless tormentor on a mission to break her. But, little does she know, the prison holds more insidious monsters than the beastly cellmate who steals her food and trades away her belongings for seemingly irrelevant trinkets.

The past.

Secret murders. A clandestine friendship. A broken pact between sisters. In an effort to cover up a string of devious acts, an unlikely coalition unites to bury their shared dark past.

The present.

A woman continues to be tortured by her mocking bunkmate, as well as by her own past—and all the things she can’t recall about it. What has she done? Why is she here?Whereis she? As she ponders and pieces together the mysteries of her history, she traverses a place that incarcerates her not only physically but also forces her deeper into the prison of her own mind.

What Others Are Saying:
When a Greenland shaman decides to fight back against global warming and the harm it is doing to his people, a powerful series of events unfolds in this cli-fi thriller. Keith Rommel knows how to spin a great yarn!
– Dan Bloom, The Cli-Fi Report

About the Book:HUNGER WILL BRING ANYTHING TO THE SURFACE …
The Eskimo people of Greenland have grown tired of the damage being done to their country. Global warming from emissions that stem from the shipping lanes that run between Canada and Greenland has made people that live close to the coast sick. Cancer, asthma and as many as 5,000 deaths a year have been attributed to this pollution. A single cargo ship in one year burns more emissions than 50 million gasoline burning vehicles.

When Akutak, a Greenlandic Shaman Eskimo, decides to take action against the things that are destroying his country, he uses the ancient arts and creates a tupilak and with it and conjures a curse. Designed in the form of an octopus, this Goliath is going to become Greenland’s guardian and do everything within its power to stop the erosion of the ice sheet.

But not everyone sees the Tupilak Octopus as a champion and they seek to destroy it. But the only way to destroy it is to conjure something more powerful and Akutak may be Greenland’s most powerful shaman.

This novelette is part of the Cli-Fi movement and contains stunning facts surrounding Greenland and the danger this beautiful country faces from big oil to overused shipping lanes. Akutak and his Tupilak Octopus has one message: leave Greenland alone! – Read this highly educational novel with a great fiction story intertwined within the startling facts.

Excerpt:
Akutak knelt down on the hard, cold surface of a mountainous ice sheet that overlooked the valley’s deep ice canyon. A large rivulet carried fast-moving glacial water, and the sound of the running river was loud enough to reach Akutak even at this altitude.

Located in the interior of Greenland, beneath the ice sheet and river flow, was a canyon that snaked around and reached the Petermann Glacier on the northern coast. The water melt also flowed beneath the ice and was released into the Arctic Ocean.

True to old tradition almost lost throughout the centuries, Akutak wore the skins of animals that were captured for their meat. The skins were sewn together by his wife. She was a skilled seamstress and made him kamiks, trousers and anoraks, gloves and a hat. It was her skill that protected him against the harsh elements and kept him alive. Knowing she made the clothing, the frigid cold was of no concern; in Greenland it is said a man is what his wife makes him.

Opening the flap of an animal skin sack that was slung over his shoulder, he peered inside and saw what he had placed there before he left home at first light.

The wind whipped and reminded Akutak that where he was was inhospitable and unwelcoming. But still, he continued to move forward with the plan that took him nearly two years to complete; shrouded in silence even to his kin. What he created and what he was about to do was never shared with anyone else. It couldn’t be because that was the way.

He carefully reached into his sack and pulled out a hand-sized tupilaq. This carefully handmade avenging monster was created to keep people away from his native land, which was shrinking each year because of global warming.

The shaman began to chant in his native tongue of Inuit. He called forth in a repeated rhythmic sound, reciting his desire to make those who caused it to pay for what his country was suffering. He wanted to instill fear and summoned a beast, large and unstoppable, filled with the rage of his ancestors. This beast would do terrible things to keep people away from Greenland.

He looked at the tupilaq, made the traditional way to ensure its effectiveness; the design represented exactly what he foresaw as being the bringer of fear and order, death, and a reluctance to challenge the waters around Greenland. Made from carved bone, dried and stretched skin, woven hair and sinew, the totem even contained parts from dead children.

Drawing himself close to the ridge, each footfall carefully placed so as not to plunge to his death, his chant continued as he looked over the edge and into the clear water. He held onto the tupilaq, looked at his work one last time to make sure it was good enough, and then held it out and released it over the flowing water.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel is the author of numerous fiction thrillers, best known for his Thanatology Series, which includes The Cursed Man, and The Lurking Man, both of which are becoming Hollywood movies. Keith is also a screenwriter.

What drives someone to kill? Is it something within them, or an outside force that influences them?

One of Florida’s most overlooked serial killers (Gerard John Schaefer) wrought havoc along the Treasure Coast and Hutchinson Island in the 1970s. His reign of terror consisted of unspeakable acts of torture, rape, and murder by an ancient oak tree. He hanged people there, buried their bodies, and came back often to pillage what remained. It is believed that Schaefer’s evil seeped into the tree and surrounding area, leaving a blemish on the otherwise beautiful nature walk in Oak Hammock Park in Port Saint Lucie. When night descends around the tree, the atmosphere changes completely; hundreds of stories are offered up about personal experiences of a true-life haunting.

Continuing with the legend that is pulled into modern day, Satanists commune by the tree in honor of their fallen idol. Terrible things happen around the tree, which seems to have a certain allure to it . . . making peoplecommit unimaginable acts.

This sick and grizzly legend is so deep, so convoluted and wicked, you won’t believe what you read. Whatever you do, don’t visit the Devil Tree after dusk. You will never be the same. This is not just a blurb for the back of a book, but a warning from many people–including uniformed officers who have come forth to share their experiences at the tree. I have seen both confusion and truth in their eyes.

This is a must-read series for all Floridians and those intrigued by legends, the supernatural, and the occult.

EXCERPT:

The big oak tree remained firmly planted in the soil and blocked out the moonlight with its thick overhead canopy draped in Spanish moss. It towered there like a sentinel of bad omens with a history it didn’t ask for and a reputation it couldn’t shake.

A dozen people gathered around, all dressed in long black robes with silk, ropelike belts with tassels and red plastic masks to disguise their faces. Two from the group placed candles around the tree and one followed behind them, lighting the candles. The flicker of candlelight added to the eerie scene that had begun to play out.

Everyone backed away and two others stepped forward. Unlike the others, their masks were white with a bloody teardrop underneath the left eyehole. They brushed away the leaves and acorns that covered the forest floor, sat down on the cool ground, and set a Ouija board between them.

Gentle fingers rested on the planchette, the small, heart-shaped movable indicator, and everyone around remained perfectly quiet. Palpable tension hung in the air as if something wicked shushed everyone with the promise of something terrible to come. The onlookers waited while the two chosen ones who had been called forth spoke to the Ouija board. With that, the ritual had begun.

“We have come here and gathered for you, and we respectfully ask that you give us a sign of your presence,” a male voice said, muted by the mask without a mouth hole.

The planchette started to move slowly, without purpose, and the leaders stared at each other.

“Have you been expecting us?” the female said and shook her masked head.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Sunbury Press has released Keith Rommel’s thriller novel You Killed My Brother, the first book of the Cultures Collide series. Sunbury Press acquired the title from GMTA Publishing (Enigma Press imprint) in August.

About the Book:
Rainer is a successful doctor and father of two. He’s a celebrated member of the community for his exceptional care and charity work. Brick is a local street thug that can’t keep his nose clean. When fate brings the two together through tragedy, the life of Rainer is changed dramatically. Glenn is a seasoned cop and Rainer’s younger brother. Trusting the justice system, he keeps his desire for revenge in check as Brick is brought to trial. But when the jury hands Brick a lean sentence, Glenn sets out to avenge his family’s suffering. But what he forgets in his rage is that for every action, there is a reaction.

Excerpt:
If murder were legal, there would be dozens of bodies left in Jennifer’s wake.

“Damn it,” she whispered, and heaved a sigh. She stared at the caravan of cars that inched forward and squeezed the steering wheel. They went on as far as the eye could see, hardly moving. She rested her elbow on the armrest and pushed taut fingers through her hair.

“Mom?”

Jennifer looked into the rearview mirror and both Emily and Hannah stared back.

“Yes?” Jennifer said with the most patient voice she could muster.

“You shouldn’t say words like that mommy,” Emily said.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t. I’m sorry.”

“Do you think we’re going to be late, is that why you’re mad?” Emily said.

The clock on the car radio read 4:00.

“I hope not,” Jennifer said, but deep down inside she didn’t think their tardiness was avoidable. She clamped her eyes shut and tried to ignore a deep pain that pulsed and hid tactfully behind her eyes.

“Are you not feeling well, mommy?” Hannah said.

“Mommy’s fine,” she said. “I am just worried that we are going to be late and that will make me and your daddy late for the event.”

“It’s okay,” Hannah said and looked out the side window. “You shouldn’t worry so much. Daddy is the star and they can’t do anything without him.”

Jennifer laughed. “I suppose you’re right.” She watched as a car rode the shoulder all the way to the next exit.

“Mommy, you should follow him,” Emily said, and pointed at the car that Jennifer watched. “He’s going fast!”

“I…” Jennifer thought to protest the suggestion, but knew it was the only way. The risk of getting a ticket was worth the time she could save. She cut the wheel hard right and stepped on the gas. The powerful car raced up the shoulder and approached another long line of cars that led to a blinking traffic light. She pressed the brake pedal hard and stopped the car just short of the vehicle in front of her. The force of the abrupt halt pushed everyone forward in their seats and snapped them back.

“I’m sorry,” Jennifer said. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You don’t think daddy will leave without you, do you?” Hannah said, her eyes wide with the question.

“No, I don’t suppose he would.”

The vehicles ahead of her managed to merge their way into traffic quicker than she anticipated.

“He loves you too much to do that,” Hannah said. “He tells you that all the time.”

“You are very smart.” Jennifer smiled.

About the Author:
Keith Rommel authored the critically acclaimed dark suspense Thanatology Series which includes The Cursed Man (book 1), The Lurking Man (book 2) and The Sinful Man (book 3). Keith has dabbled in psychological crime with the fast-paced You Killed My Brother and his new supernatural release where angels and demons face off in Among The People. His next release will be The Silent Woman (book 4) Keith is the co-screenplay writer for The Cursed Man movie being filmed in Los Angeles, California as a major motion picture under the same title.

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for July, 2014. Keith Rommel’s novel The Cursed Man led the way.

About The Cursed Man

The Cursed Man, by Keith Rommel, tells the story of Alister Kunkle, a patient at Sunnyside Capable Care Mental Institution. Alister has been in seclusion for the last 25 years, having no contact with the staff or the outside world. The reason for this is that anyone who communicates with Alister dies within the day, for he is the Cursed Man and Death takes a professional interest in those unlucky enough to cross his path.

Believing him simply deranged, Dr Anna Lee, an up-and-coming young psychiatrist, has come to cure Alister. She is warned about Alister’s past and is shown evidence of previous encounters made by the skeptical or unbelieving, all of whom died, sometimes horribly. Regardless of the stories, Anna will not be dissuaded and is reluctantly allowed access to Alister. All assume her fate is sealed, but when she returns unharmed the next day, we also start to wonder about the stories.

So begins an enthralling narrative told in the past and the present as Anna attempts to learn why Alister believes he is cursed, while at the same time trying to convince him the events were not real and that in fact he is merely ill and so can be cured. Is Alister truly followed by death or is he simply mentally ill? The Cursed Man is an extremely well-written suspense horror story… I enjoyed it immensely; right up until the very end I was never sure of the outcome… Great story-telling in the tradition of Stephen King… — Booklore

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for July, 2014 (by Revenue)

Rank

Last Month

Title

Author

Category

1

3

The Cursed Man

Keith Rommel

Thriller Fiction

2

Of Guilt and Innocence

John Scanlan

Thriller Fiction

3

My Mom Is an Alien

Joanne Risso

Childrens Fiction

4

8

The Lurking Man

Keith Rommel

Thriller Fiction

5

4

The Closer

Alan Mindell

Sports Fiction

6

7

Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last

Mike Campbell

History

7

The Bronze Dagger

Marie Sontag

Childrens Fiction

8

The Undecided

Robin Donaruma

YA Fiction

9

15

The Sinful Man

Keith Rommel

Thriller Fiction

10

The Trevorton, Mahanoy and Susquehanna Railroad

Steve Troutman

History

11

6

Call Sign Dracula

Joe Fair

History

12

17

Jesus the Phoenician

Karim El Koussa

History

13

The Mouse with the Broken Tail

Dan Shutters

Childrens Fiction

14

5

Pit Bulls

Anthony Julian

History

15

16

A Darker Shade of Freedom

C James Gilbert

Historical Fiction

16

19

Hour 30

Brandon Musgrave

Medical Memoir

17

The Spirits’ Cabin of Lake Eagle Talon

Paul Argentini

Literary Fiction

18

Well I’ll Be Hanged

Tim Dempsey

History

19

Victims of Circumstance

John Scanlan

Thriller Fiction

20

20

Sanctuary Dishonored

Robin Lee

Art History

Ebooks continued their decline from their peak in 2012, dropping 20% in July, as compared to last July. Trade paperbacks continue to be the most popular format. The company is preparing for the 10th anniverary celebration at the Sunbury Press store at 50 West Main Street in Mechanicsburg on Friday September 5th. Keith Rommel, the author of The Cursed Man and the lead actor who plays the cursed man in the movie, Brahm Gallagher, will be on hand to sign books and to read. The festivities run from 6 to 9 followed by an after party at The Metropolis Collective at 17 West Main. All are invited!

Keith Rommel’s The Cursed Man, The Lurking Man & recently released The Sinful Man were helped by orders from Barnes & Noble, strong sales at Rocky’s Hardware and interest in The Cursed Manmovie. John Scanlan’s Of Guilt and Innocence and Victims of Circumstance both charted thanks to strong sales in Florida. Alan Mindell’s The Closer stayed on the chart thanks to sales to San Diego area bookstores. Mike Campbell’s Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last climbed to #6 on the winds of interest in the anniversary of the loss of the aviatrix. Marie Sontag’s The Bronze Dagger grabbed #7 thanks to author events. The Undecided by Robin Donaruma placed 8th due to book store orders. Steve Troutman’s The Trevorton, Mahanoy and Susquehanna Railroad charted thanks to regional interest. Joe Fair’s Call Sign Dracula was #6 thanks to author activity at military unit reunions. Karim El Koussa’s Jesus the Phoenician returned to thst charts thanks to interest in Europe. Dan Shutter’sThe Mouse with the Broken Tail was 13th thanks to author activities. Anthony Julian’s Pit Bulls Icontinued to draw interest among dog enthusiasts. A Darker Shade of Freedom by C James Gilbert was bolstered by author activities in the Gettysburg area and a TV appearance in Harrisburg. Brandon Musgrave’s Hour 30 was the 2nd ranked ebook, taking #16 overall. Paul Argentini’s The Spirits’ Cabin of Lake Eagle Talon debuted at #17 thanks to author activities. Tim Dempsey’s Well I’ll Be Hangedwas helped by bookstore purchases. Robin Lee’s Sanctuary Dishonored rounded out the list again.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Sunbury Press has released Keith Rommel’s 3rd installment of the Thanatology series — The Sinful Man

About the Book:

Headaches. Hunger. Pain.

Leo needs something . . . his stomach growls, but it can wait. That’s not hunger he must feed. He has to get to his next high, but without money he knows he can’t buy what he needs to sate the voice inside telling him to get more, get more.

Voices. Visions. Addiction.

No luck asking his father. His mother is in no position to help. After failing to steal the money he desperately needs, Leo must appeal to his dealer, the dangerous and infamous Saint Nick—despite the inevitable beating he’ll take for showing up empty-handed. Still, anything to keep the voices and flashbacks at bay . . .

Demons. Addiction. Death.

Leo soon learns that everything has a price—not just money for drugs, but that every choice he makes has a repercussion. Suddenly caught between a world where he can see the sins of his past and a new consciousness that he doesn’t fully understand, Leo finds himself not only chasing the dragon, but being chased by demons of a whole different kind. He must learn the finality of being past hope—all while reliving his missed opportunities for second chances—and truly come to understand that he is responsible for his own undoing before he runs out of time. After a lifetime of bad choices, this Sinful Man discovers the consequences to his actions and the mortal responsibility of exercising free will.

What others are saying:

“Downright chilling. Rommel has woven another nightmare that will haunt your days and nights!” — Hunter Shea, author of The Montauk Monster and The Waiting
——–
“Reading late into the night, this had me wanting more… and dreading it.” — Catherine Jordan, author of Seeking Samiel
———
From the very beginning of The Sinful Man, Keith Rommel grabs the reader by the throat and catapults him into a world where the reader’s own pounding heart screams that nowhere is safe. –Thomas M. Malafarina, author of Dead Kill – Book 1 – The Ridge of Death

The Cursed Man, by Keith Rommel, tells the story of Alister Kunkle, a patient at Sunnyside Capable Care Mental Institution. Alister has been in seclusion for the last 25 years, having no contact with the staff or the outside world. The reason for this is that anyone who communicates with Alister dies within the day, for he is the Cursed Man and Death takes a professional interest in those unlucky enough to cross his path.

Believing him simply deranged, Dr Anna Lee, an up-and-coming young psychiatrist, has come to cure Alister. She is warned about Alister’s past and is shown evidence of previous encounters made by the skeptical or unbelieving, all of whom died, sometimes horribly. Regardless of the stories, Anna will not be dissuaded and is reluctantly allowed access to Alister. All assume her fate is sealed, but when she returns unharmed the next day, we also start to wonder about the stories.

So begins an enthralling narrative told in the past and the present as Anna attempts to learn why Alister believes he is cursed, while at the same time trying to convince him the events were not real and that in fact he is merely ill and so can be cured. Is Alister truly followed by death or is he simply mentally ill? The Cursed Man is an extremely well-written suspense horror story… I enjoyed it immensely; right up until the very end I was never sure of the outcome… Great story-telling in the tradition of Stephen King… — Booklore

What happens after we die? Are we given choices based on how we lived our lives? It’s an age-old question pondered by just about everyone.

Author Keith Rommel dared to explore the answer by creating his newest novel The Lurking Man, a story of dark suspense that unmercifully reveals the life of a self-deluded, neglectful mother who caused irreparable damage to her family and ultimately struggles with death as much as life. It’s the second novel in his suspenseful and thrilling Thanatology series that began with the eerie, spine-tingling The Cursed Man.

“Imagine Death knowing your deepest, darkest secrets and all of your private pain,” said Rommel about The The Lurking Man. “Now imagine it wants to use what it knows against you so that you bend to its will.”

In the Lurking Man, main character Cailean stands beneath a spotlight in a blinding snowstorm. She has no idea where she is or how she got there, but she senses something moving around her in the darkness outside the light.

When the ominous presence calling himself Sariel makes himself known, he declares that he is Death Incarnate and that Cailean has died. He has taken her to the Aperture, a place between the living and the dead, where he will force her to face the sins of her past in exchange for twenty-four hours of life to try and right her wrongs. But what she must do in return for this precious time is unthinkable.